Child safety seat

ABSTRACT

A child safety seat includes a seat shell having a seat portion and a backrest, the seat portion having a front end opposite to the backrest, and an extension member connected with the seat shell and having a forward end. The extension member is configurable between a first position where the forward end deploys forward away from the front end of the seat shell, and a second position in which the extension member is retracted toward or removed from the seat shell. The child safety seat has a rear facing configuration of installation, and the forward end of the extension member when in the first position is configured to provide abuttal contact against a seatback of the vehicle seat in the rear facing configuration.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application respectively claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/961,774 filed on Oct. 23, 2013; U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/995,490 filed on Apr. 10, 2014; and U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/996,951 filed on May 19, 2014, allof which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to child safety seats.

2. Description of the Related Art

A child safety seat is typically used in an automobile vehicle toproperly restrain a child in the event of accidental collision. It iswidely known that a child safety seat that is placed in a rear facingposition can provide better protection, because it can distribute crashforces over a larger portion of the body (i.e., the back supporting thehead). Accordingly, safety experts and car seat manufacturers havechanged the recommendations to seat children in a vehicle in a rearfacing position until the age of 2 years old. However, the child safetyseats currently available on the market are usually dimensioned toreceive younger children having a small body. These child safety seatswhen installed in the rear facing position do not leave enough room toreceive older children having longer legs. As a result, parents may feelthat the older child's legs would be crushed against the seatback of thevehicle during collision, which discourage the installation of the childsafety seat in the rear facing position.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved child safety seat that canaccommodate children of different ages, and can address at least theforegoing issues.

SUMMARY

The present application describes a child safety seat that can beadjustable to accommodate children of different ages in a rear facingconfiguration. In one embodiment, the child safety seat includes a seatshell having a seat portion and a backrest, the seat portion having afront end opposite to the backrest, and an extension member connectedwith the seat shell and having a forward end. The extension member isconfigurable between a first position where the forward end deploysforward away from the front end of the seat shell, and a second positionin which the extension member is retracted toward or removed from theseat shell. The child safety seat has a rear facing configuration ofinstallation, and the forward end of the extension member when in thefirst position is configured to provide abuttal contact against aseatback of the vehicle seat in the rear facing configuration.

In other embodiments, a child safety seat is described as including aseat shell having a seat portion and a backrest, and a base connectedwith a bottom of the seat shell. The seat shell is adjustable relativeto the base between a plurality of angular positions. The base includesa locking part operable to engage the seat shell for locking the seatshell in any one of the angular positions, and two actuating interfacesrespectively arranged adjacent to two opposite ends of the shell body,the two actuating interfaces being movable to drive latching andunlatching displacements of the locking part.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of a child safetyseat;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating the construction of a base usedin the child safety seat shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a child carrier used in thechild safety seat shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a latchingmechanism for locking an extension member in the child carrier shown inFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross sectional view illustrating the latchingmechanism of FIG. 4 in an unlocking position;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating the child safety seat installedfacing rearward in a first angular position on a vehicle seat;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating the child safety seat installedfacing rearward in a second angular position on a vehicle seat;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating a variant embodiment in which anextension member of the seat shell is provided with an adjustableshield;

FIG. 9 is a schematic enlarged view of portion A shown in FIG. 6illustrating a bottom of the base of the child safety seat provided withprotruding heels;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating another embodiment of a childsafety seat;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating the construction of a frontfoot used in the child safety seat shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view illustrating the assembly of the front footshown in FIG. 11 with the seat shell;

FIG. 13 is a schematic view illustrating the child safety seat of FIG.10 installed facing rearward in a first angular position on a vehicleseat;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view illustrating the child safety seat of FIG.10 installed facing rearward in a second angular position on a vehicleseat;

FIGS. 15 and 16 are schematic views illustrating an embodiment in whichthe seat shell is further connected with a rear foot to provideadditional standing support;

FIGS. 17 and 18 are schematic views illustrating another possibleembodiment in which the seat shell is further assembled with a lever toprovide additional standing support; and

FIGS. 19-22 are schematic views illustrating other variant embodimentsof child safety seats provided with adjustable extension members forincreasing a leg room.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of a child safetyseat 100 suitable for seating a child in a vehicle. The child safetyseat 100 can include a base 102, and a child carrier 104 that can bedetachably installed on the base 102. The base 102 can provide stablesupport for the child carrier 104, and also allow recline adjustment ofthe child carrier 104. The child carrier 104 includes a seat shell 106having a seat portion 108 and a backrest 110. The seat shell 106,including the seat portion 108 and the backrest 110, can be formedintegrally by plastic molding. The seat shell 106 can include twosupport rails 112 protruding at an underside of the seat shell 106 andhaving a curved, angled or inclined shape, which can rest in contactagainst an upper surface of the base 102. Once it is arranged on thebase 102, a fastener system can be operable to lock the child carrier104 in place. The assembly of the child carrier 104 and the base 102 canthen be installed in a suitable configuration on a vehicle seat, inparticular in a position facing rearward (i.e., facing a seatback of avehicle seat).

In conjunction with FIG. 1, FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating aconstruction of the base 102. The base 102 can include a shell body 114having two opposite ends 114A and 114B, and a lengthwise axis Xextending from the first end 114A to the second end 114B. The two ends114A and 114B can correspond, e.g., to a rear and a front (or reversely)of the child safety seat 100. An upper surface of the base 102 can havetwo recessed regions 116 transversally apart from each other, and thetwo support rails 112 of the seat shell 106 can respectively rest in thetwo recessed regions 116 when the child carrier 104 is installed on thebase 102.

For locking the child carrier 104 in place, the base 102 can include alatching mechanism comprised of two locking parts 120, and two actuatinginterfaces 122 and 124 that are exposed and are respectively arrangednear the two ends 114A and 114B of the base 102. The two locking parts120 can be guided for sliding displacement in opposite directions alonga transversal axis Y through two guide channels 126 provided on theshell body 114. The locking parts 120 can respectively engage any ofmultiple apertures 128 (better shown in FIG. 3) provided on two innersidewalls of the two support rails 112 to lock the position of the childcarrier 104 on the base 102, and disengage from the apertures 128 toallow recline adjustment of the child carrier 104 on the base 102. Thelocking parts 120 can selectively engage any of the apertures 128 tolock the child carrier 104 in different angular positions on the base102.

The two actuating interfaces 122 and 124 can be formed as buttons,handles, or any other suitable shapes easy to operate for a caregiver.The two locking parts 120 can be respectively connected with theactuating interface 122 via two elastically deformable arms 130. Each ofthe arms 130 can have a first end affixed with the actuating interface122, and a second end affixed with the locking part 120 associatedtherewith. The two arms 130 can be restrainedly positioned in a guidestructure provided in the shell body 114. The guide structure can havetwo passages 132 that extend parallel near the actuating interface 122,and then diverge from each other to respectively connect with the guidechannels 126. With this construction, sliding displacement of theactuating interface 122 along the lengthwise axis X can drive the arms130 in movement along the two passages 132, which causes localdeformation of the arms 130 owing to the sliding contact between thearms 130 and the passages 132. The displacement of the arms 130 in turncan drive the locking parts 120 to slide transversally in oppositedirections to engage or disengage the support rails 112 of the childcarrier 104.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the two actuating interfaces 122 and 124 canbe assembled with the shell body 114 for sliding displacement along thelengthwise axis X, and can be connected with each other via one linkagearrangement. In one embodiment, the actuating interface 122 can have oneelongated extension 134A, and the actuating interface 124 can haveanother extension 134B that can detachably connect to the extension 134Aof the actuating interface 122. The connection of the two extensions134A and 134B (e.g., by contact) can form a linkage allowing the twoactuating interfaces 122 and 124 to move in unison to drive unlockingdisplacement of the locking parts 120. For example, the actuatinginterface 124 at the end 114B of the base 102 can be pushed by thecaregiver to push the actuating interface 122 in movement via thecontact between the extensions 134A and 134B and cause unlatchingdisplacement of the locking parts 120. Alternatively, the actuatinginterface 122 at the end 114A of the base 102 can be pulled by acaregiver to cause unlatching displacement of the locking parts 120, theextension 134A moving away from the extension 134B of the actuatinginterface 124 during the unlatching displacement of the actuatinginterface 122. In other embodiments, the two extensions 134A and 134Bmay be affixed with each other or formed as an integral linkageconnected with the two actuating interfaces 122 and 124, so that the twoactuating interfaces 122 and 124 always move in unison. The arrangementof the two actuating interfaces 122 and 124 at two opposite ends 114Aand 114B of the base 102 can offer better access for a caregiver todisengage the locking parts 120 for recline adjustment of the childcarrier 104 from the base 102, regardless of the orientation of the base102 during installation (i.e., facing forward or rearward).

In one embodiment, the actuating interface 122 can be further connectedwith a spring 136 (shown with phantom lines). The spring 136 can biasthe actuating interface 122 in a direction for causing latchingdisplacement of the arms 130 and the locking parts 120 connectedtherewith.

In conjunction with FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating thechild carrier 104 alone. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the seat portion108 of the seat shell 106 can have an upper surface 108A on which achild can sit, and can extend from the backrest 110 toward a front ofthe seat shell 106 and terminate at a front end 106A of the seat shell106 opposite to the backrest 110. The backrest 110 can be assembled witha headrest 137 that is adjustable to adapt to the height of the child.Moreover, the seat shell 106 can have a left and a right armrest 138disposed adjacent to a left and a right border of the seat shell 106,which rise upward from the upper surface 108A. Lateral openings 139 maybe provided through the left and right sides of the seat shell 106 forpassage of a vehicle seatbelt when the child safety seat 100 isinstalled on a vehicle seat.

An extension member 140 can be assembled with the seat shell 106 forsliding displacement along a lengthwise axis extending from a rear to afront of the seat shell 106. The extension member 140 can have atransversal portion 140A extending across a width of the seat portion108, and two bent portions 140B respectively connected with a left and aright side of the transversal portion 140A. The bent portions 140B canrise upward from the transversal portion 140A. In one embodiment, theextension member 140, including the transversal portion 140A and the twobent portions 140B, may be formed as an integral body. The extensionmember 140 thereby formed may have a generally U-shape with an enlargedtransversal portion 140A. The extension member 140 may be arrangedthrough a cavity of the seat shell 106 that generally extends from thefront end 106A of the seat shell 106 toward the rear of the seat shell106, the transversal portion 140A lying below the upper surface 108A,and the two bent portions 140B being respectively adjacent to anunderside of the armrests 138. In one embodiment, the two bent portions140B may rise higher than the upper surface 108A of the seat portion108. The extension member 140 can slide forward relative to the seatshell 106 to a first position where a forward end 140C of the extensionmember 140 is deployed forward away from the front end 106A of the seatshell 106 (as better shown in FIG. 6), and retract into the seat shell106 to a second position where the forward end 140C lies adjacent to thefront end 106A of the seat shell 106 (as better shown in FIG. 7). Inaddition, the extension member 140 can also occupy multiple intermediatepositions between the aforementioned first and second positions.

In conjunction with FIG. 3, FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic partialcross-sectional views illustrating a latching mechanism for locking theextension member 140 in any of the multiple positions describedpreviously. This latching mechanism can include two latches 142 that areconnected with the extension member 140 at two locations transversallyspaced apart from each other. The extension member 140 can have a mountportion 140D that is connected with the transversal portion 140A and isarranged between two fixed sidewalls 144 of the seat shell 106. The twolatches 142 may be pivotally connected with the extension member 140about pivot axes R1 and R2, and may be disposed adjacent to a left andright side edge of the mount portion 140D. Each of the latches 142 canbe affixed with a pin 142A disposed eccentric from the pivot axis R1 orR2. The latches 142 can rotate relative to the extension member 140 torespectively engage with the two sidewalls 144 of the seat shell 106 tolock the extension member 140 in place. More specifically, each of thesidewalls 144 can have a plurality of apertures 146, and the associatedlatch 142 can respectively engage with a first one of the apertures 146to lock the extension member 140 in the first position, and with asecond one of the apertures 146 to lock the extension member in thesecond position.

The extension member 140 can be further assembled with a release part148 that can extend lengthwise into a gap 150 between the two latches142. The release part 148 is assembled for sliding displacement along alengthwise axis extending from a front to a rear of the seat shell 106,and is arranged at a central location of the extension member 140. Twoelongated slots 148A may be formed through the release part 148 at twotransversally spaced apart locations. When the release part 148 isassembled with the extension member 140, the two pins 142A of the twolatches 142 can be respectively received in the two slots 148A, thelength of the slots 148A being greater than the pins 142A so thatlimited relative displacement between the release part 148 and thelatches 142 is allowed. The release part 148 can be located near theforward end 140C, and can be concealed behind a cap 152 formed with theforward end 140C. The release part 148 can be movable between a lockingposition as shown in FIG. 4 and an unlocking position as shown in FIG.5. In the locking position shown in FIG. 4, the release part 148 islocated in the gap 150 and the latches 142 can engage with the sidewalls144 of the seat shell 106 for locking the extension member 140 in place.Torsion springs 154 can be used to bias the latches 142 to engage withthe sidewalls 144.

For unlocking the latches 142, the release part 148 is pulled forward sothat it moves relative to the extension member 140 away from the gap 150for allowing unlocking rotation of the latches 142. As the release part148 continues to move further forward, end edges of the slots 148A canrespectively contact and engage with the pins 142A, whereby the latches142 can be driven in rotation by the release part 148 to disengage fromthe sidewalls 144. In one embodiment, the release part 148 may be biasedby a spring 156 (shown with phantom lines) toward the locking position,and a caregiver can pull the release part 148 forward against thebiasing force of the spring 156 to switch the release part 148 from thelocking position to the unlocking position for allowing displacement ofthe extension member 140.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are schematic views illustrating the child safety seat 100installed on a vehicle seat 160 in a rear facing configuration. In therear facing configuration, the child safety seat 100 is arranged suchthat its front faces a seatback 162 of the vehicle seat 160. When thechild safety seat 100 is in the rear facing configuration, the seatshell 106 of the child carrier 104 is adjustable relative to the base102 to multiple angular positions, such as an upright or first angularposition as shown in FIG. 6, and a recline or second angular position asshown in FIG. 7 that is inclined rearward relative to the first angularposition of FIG. 6. The locking parts 120 on the base 102 can engagewith different sets of the apertures 128 (better shown in FIGS. 2 and 3)to lock the seat shell 106 in any of the angular positions.

While the seat shell 106 is in the first angular position shown in FIG.6, the extension member 140 can be adjusted to the first position wherethe extension member 140 can deploy substantially outward and theforward end 140C thereof displaced forward away from the front end 106Aof the seat shell 106, the forward end 140C thereby defining an extendedforemost end of the child safety seat 100. This forward deployment ofthe extension member 140 can displace the seat shell 106 and the base102 away from the seatback 162 of the vehicle seat 160, which can createmore space in front of the child safety seat 100 for placement of thelegs of a child having a taller body. Moreover, the forward end 140C ofthe extension member 140 can have a surface that can provide effectiveabuttal contact against the seatback 162 of the vehicle seat 160 forpreventing rebound of the child safety seat 100 when car collisionoccurs. For example, the transversal portion 140A of the extensionmember 140 can have a surface of a substantial length that provideeffective contact with the seatback 162 of the vehicle seat 160, and theextending height of the bent portions 140B can also increase the contactarea of the forward end 140C with the seatback 162, which may secure astable support against the seatback 162. Since more leg room is createdat the front of the child safety seat 100, the more upright firstangular position of the seat shell 106 can help to maintain someclearance between the backrest 110 of the child safety seat 100 and aseatback of a front vehicle seat (shown with phantom lines). Moreover,the center of gravity of the child sitting on the child safety seat 100can be displaced forward, which may prevent rearward falling of thechild safety seat 100.

When it is in the second angular position shown in FIG. 7, the seatshell 106 can be reclined rearward relative to the first angularposition shown in FIG. 6 to accommodate a younger child having a smallerbody. While the seat shell 106 is in this second angular position, theextension member 140 can be adjusted to the second positionsubstantially retracted into the seat shell 106, the forward end 140C ofthe extension member 140 lying adjacent to the front end 106A of theseat shell 106. This retraction of the extension member 140 can removethe additional leg space in front of the child safety seat 100, which isnot necessary for a child having a smaller body. Moreover, theretraction of the extension member 140 may also allow more recline anglein a limited vehicle space. It is worth noting that while theconstruction of the seat shell 106 allows convenient retraction of theextension member 140 when it is not used, other embodiments may alsohave the unused extension member 140 removed from the seat shell 106.Snap features may be provided in the seat shell 106 to allow detachableassembly of the extension member 140.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, for adjusting the extension member 140 fromthe first to the second position (or reversely), a caregiver can pullthe release part 148 forward to switch the release part 148 from thelocking position to the unlocking position to drive the latches 142 todisengage from the sidewalls 144 as described previously. The unlockedextension member 140 then can be adjusted forward or rearward until itreaches the desired position. The caregiver then can release the releasepart 148, which can be biased by the spring 156 to move in the gap 150,and the latches 142 can be respectively urged by the springs 154 toengage with the sidewalls 144 for locking the extension member 140 inplace.

It is worth noting that when a child sits on the seat shell 106configured as shown in FIG. 6, the child's feet may contact the seatback162 of the vehicle seat 160 and cause it to become dirty. FIG. 8 is aschematic view illustrating a variant embodiment in which the extensionmember 140 is provided with an adjustable shield 164. The shield 164 canbe a panel that is made of plastic or fabric materials. When theextension member 140 is deployed forward to increase the leg room, theshield 164 can be connected with the bent portions 140B of the extensionmember 140 in a deployed position above the transversal portion 140A.The deployed shield 164 can cover an adjacent region of the seatback162, and the child's feet can rest against the shield 164, whichprovides protection for the seatback 162. When it is unused, the shield164 can be removed from or retracted into the extension member 140. Inone embodiment, the extension member 140 can exemplary have a hollowinterior in which the shield 164 can be conveniently stored, and theshield 164 can retract into and deploy outside the extension member 140.

While the extension member 140 is deployed to create more leg room (suchas shown in FIG. 6), the child safety seat 100 is displaced further offthe seatback 162 of the vehicle seat 160, which may create theperception of a loose support on the vehicle seat 160. FIG. 9 is aschematic enlarged view of portion A shown in FIG. 6 illustrating abottom of the base 102 provided with protruding heels 165. The heels 165can arranged at a side of the base 102 away from the side of the forwardend 140C of the extension member 140. Each of the protruding heels 165can have a contact surface 165A made of a material that promotesfrictional contact with the vehicle seat 160. This arrangement canprovide resistance to relative movement between the child safety seatand the vehicle seat.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating another embodiment of a childsafety seat 100′. Like the child safety seat 100 described previously,the child safety seat 100′ has a seat shell 106′ that has the extensionmember 140 adjustable to increase a leg room at the front of the childsafety seat 100′ for accommodating a child having a taller body. Onedifference is that the seat shell 106′ of the child safety seat 100′ isconfigured to have a bottom surface 166 that can stably rest on avehicle seat without the need of the base 102 previously described. Forexample, the bottom surface 166 can be defined by the lower surfaces ofthe two support rails 112. Moreover, the seat shell 106′ can be furtherassembled with a front foot 168 that is arranged near the front of theseat shell 106′ and in front of the bottom surface 166. The front foot168 and the seat shell 106′ are movable relative to each other so as toconvert the seat shell 106′ between two different angular positions inthe rear facing configuration.

In conjunction with FIG. 10, FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustratingthe front foot 168 alone, and FIG. 12 is a schematic partialcross-sectional view illustrating the assembly of the front foot 168with the seat shell 106′. For clarity, some portions of the front foot168 and the extension member 140 are omitted in FIG. 12 to betterrepresent the assembly of the front foot 168 in the seat shell 106′. Thefront foot 168 can be pivotally connected with the seat shell 106′ abouta pivot axis P. More specifically, the front foot 168 can include atransversal portion 168A, and a left and a right bracket portion 168Bconnected fixedly with a left and a right side of the transversalportion 168A. When the front foot 168 is assembled with the seat shell106′, the two bracket portions 168B can be pivotally connected with theseat shell 106′ about the pivot axis P, and the transversal portion 168Acan extend across a width of the seat shell 106′ and lie adjacent to theextension member 140.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the front foot 168 can be further arrangedso as to interact with the extension member 140. More specifically, thetransversal portion 168A can have two opposite sidewalls respectivelyformed with protrusions 170, and the extension member 140 can have oneor more guide structures in sliding contact with the protrusions 170. Inone embodiment, the guide structure can be exemplary formed as a keel172 defining a ramp surface 172A that faces downward and rises toward arear of the extension member 140. The ramp surface 172A can have acurved or inclined profile. The protrusion 170 of the front foot 168 canbe in sliding contact against the ramp surface 172A. In one embodiment,in order to ensure that the front foot 168 remains in sliding contactwith the extension member 140, an optional spring 174 (shown withphantom lines) may be connected with the front foot 168 and the seatshell 106′, the spring 174 biasing the front foot 168 in a direction forkeeping the protrusion 170 in sliding contact against the ramp surface172A. With this construction, adjustment of the angular position of theseat shell 106′ can be coupled with the adjustment of the extensionmember 140.

In conjunction with FIG. 12, FIGS. 13 and 14 are schematic viewsillustrating the child safety seat 100′ installed on the vehicle seat160 in a rear facing configuration. The representation in FIGS. 13 and14 is shown with certain portions of the front foot 168 and extensionmember 140 cut away so as to better illustrate the interaction betweenthe protrusion 170 of the front foot 168 and the ramp surface 172A ofthe extension member 140. In the rear facing configuration, the seatshell 106′ is arranged such that its front faces the seatback 162 of thevehicle seat 160, and the bottom of the seat shell 106′ can directlyrest on the vehicle seat 160. When the child safety seat 100′ is in therear facing configuration, the seat shell 106′ is adjustable to multipleangular positions, such as an upright or first angular position as shownin FIG. 13, and a recline or second angular position as shown in FIG. 14that is reclined rearward relative to the first angular position of FIG.13.

When the seat shell 106 is in the first angular position shown in FIG.13, the extension member 140 can be adjusted to the first position whereit deploys substantially outward and the forward end 140C is displacedforward away from the front end 106A of the seat shell 106 to define anextended foremost end of the child safety seat 100′. As the extensionmember 140 deploys forward, the protrusion 170 of the front foot 168 canbe relatively displaced to a rearward position on the ramp surface 172A.Moreover, the seat shell 106′ can be rotated relative to the front foot168 so that a bottom surface 168A of the front foot 168 can be at anangle relative to the bottom surface 166 of the seat shell 106′. In thisconfiguration, the bottom surface 168A of the front foot 168 can rest onthe vehicle seat 160 and substantially support the seat shell 106′,whereas the bottom surface 166 of the seat shell 106′ located behind thebottom surface 168A of the front foot 168 is substantially out ofcontact with the vehicle seat 160. This forward deployment of theextension member 140 can create more space in front of the child safetyseat 100′ for placement of the legs of a child having a taller body.When the extension member 140 is in the deployed position, one or morerib 173 provided on the extension member 140 may respectively engagewith one or more opening 175 formed at the front end 106A of the seatshell 106′.

In the second angular position shown in FIG. 14, the extension member140 can be retracted into the seat shell 106, so that the forward end140C of the extension member 140 lies adjacent to the front end 106A ofthe seat shell 106′. Owing to the sliding contact between the rampsurface 172A and the front foot 168, the displacement of the extensionmember 140 toward the seat shell 106′ can drive a relative rotationbetween the front foot 168 and the seat shell 106′ about the pivot axisP to cause the seat shell 106′ to recline rearward. When the extensionmember 140 is fully retracted in the second angular position shown inFIG. 14, the protrusion 170 of the front foot 168 can be relativelydisplaced to a forward position on the ramp surface 172A, and the bottomsurface 168A of the front foot 168 and the bottom surface 166 of theseat shell 106′ can be substantially level to evenly rest on the vehicleseat 160. In this recline configuration, the seat shell 106′ canaccommodate a younger child having a smaller body. Owing to the contactbetween the extension member 140 and the front foot 168, the extensionmember 140 when in the retracted position can also block a rotationaldisplacement of the front foot 168 relative to the seat shell 106′ fromits position shown in FIG. 14 to the position shown in FIG. 13.Accordingly, the front foot 168 can be kept substantially level with thebottom surface 166 of the seat shell 106′.

Referring again to FIG. 10, in certain embodiment in which the childsafety seat 100′ can be installed on a vehicle seat facing forward, thefront foot 168 may also be arranged so as to be rotatable toward thebottom surface 166 to a position (shown with phantom lines) stowedrearward.

For better support stability of the seat shell 106′ when the extensionmember 140 is deployed as shown in FIG. 13, additional supportstructures can be provided on the seat shell 106′. FIGS. 15 and 16 areschematic views illustrating an embodiment in which the seat shell 106′may be further pivotally connected with a rear foot 178 about a pivotaxis T. The rear foot 178 can be placed behind the front foot 168, andcan be further pivotally connected with a linkage 180 affixed with theextension member 140. The pivot axis T of the rear foot 178 can belocated behind the pivot axis P of the front foot 168. Rearwarddisplacement of the extension member 140 can drive a rotation of therear foot 178 to the retracted position shown in FIG. 15, and forwarddisplacement of the extension member 140 can drive a reverse rotation ofthe rear foot 178 to the deployed position shown in FIG. 16.

In FIG. 15, the extension member 140 is shown as being stowed into theseat shell 106′, and the rear foot 178 is in a retracted position abovethe bottom surface 166 of the seat shell 106′. In this configuration,the bottom surface 166 of the seat shell 106′ and the front foot 168 canbe substantially level to provide support on the vehicle seat 160.

In FIG. 16, as it is extended forward, the extension member 140 candrive rotation of the rear foot 178 about the pivot axis T to a deployedposition projecting below the bottom surface 166 of the seat shell 106′and behind the pivot axis P of the front foot 168. Moreover, the frontfoot 168 can be rotationally displaced relative to the seat shell 106′as previously described. In this configuration, the front foot 168 andthe rear foot 178 can provide stable support for seat shell 106′.

FIGS. 17 and 18 are schematic views illustrating another possibleembodiment in which the seat shell 106′ may be further assembled with alever 182. The lever 182 can be toggled by the front foot 168 about thepivot axis P, and can extend behind the front foot 168 and the pivotaxis P. When the seat shell 106′ rotates relative to the front foot 168,a projecting portion 182A of the lever 182 may either retract to lieabove the bottom surface 166 of the seat shell 106′ or project below thebottom surface 166.

In FIG. 17, the extension member 140 is shown as being stowed into theseat shell 106′, and the front foot 168 is substantially flush with thebottom surface 166 of the seat shell 106′. In this recline configurationof the seat shell 106′, the lever 182 is in a retracted position abovethe bottom surface 166 of the seat shell 106′, and the bottom surface166 of the seat shell 106′ and the front foot 168 can be substantiallylevel to provide stable support on the vehicle seat 160.

In FIG. 18, the extension member 140 is shown as being deployed forward,and the seat shell 106′ is rotated relative to the front foot 168 andthe lever 182 so that the bottom surface 168A of the front foot 168 isinclined an angle relative to the bottom surface 166 of the seat shell106′. In this upright configuration of the seat shell 106′, theprojecting portion 182A of the lever 182 can protrude below the bottomsurface 166 of the seat shell 106′, and the seat shell 106′ can standstably on the front foot 168 and the lever 182.

The arrangement of the extension member 140 as described previouslyallows to adjust a leg room at the front of the child safety seat toaccommodate children of different age. It will be understood that theextension member is not limited to the aforementioned constructions, andother embodiments may be possible as illustrated in FIGS. 19-22.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 19, the extension member 240 can bepivotally connected with the seat shell 206 near the front end 206Athereof. The pivot axis S of the extension member 240 can extendtransversally relative to the seat shell 240. The extension member 240can rotate about the pivot axis S relative to the seat shell 206 betweena retracted position (shown with phantom lines) stowed into the seatshell 206, and a deployed position (shown with solid lines) where theextension member 240 deploys forward beyond the front end 206A of theseat shell 206 to expand the leg room at the front of the child safetyseat. Moreover, the seat shell 206 can have two grooves 242 and 244disposed at two different angular positions relative to the pivot axisS, and the extension member 240 can have a rib 246 that can engage witheither of the grooves 242 and 244 to respectively lock the extensionmember 240 in either of the retracted and deployed position.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 20, the extension member 340 can beslidably connected with the support rails 312 at the bottom of the seatshell 306, and can slide back and forth. The extension member 340 candeploy forward to expand the leg room at the front of the seat shell306, when the seat shell 306 is installed in a rear facingconfiguration. Rather than a sliding assembly, it will be appreciatedthat the extension member may also be pivotally connected with the seatshell 406 about a pivot axis that extends vertical near the front end ofthe seat shell 406. Such construction can allow to pivotally deploy orretract the extension member.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 21, the extension member can beconstructed as a movable seat board 408 assembled with the seat shell406 for lengthwise displacement. A child received on the seat shell 406can sit on the seat board 408. The seat board 408 can slide forward toform an extended foremost end for expanding the leg room for olderchildren, and slide rearward to retract toward the interior of the seatshell 406 between the two armrests for accommodating younger children.Rather than a sliding assembly, it will be appreciated that the seatboard 408 may also be pivotally connected with the seat shell 406 abouta pivot axis that extends transversally near the front end of the seatshell 406. Such construction can allow to pivotally deploy or retractthe seat board.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 22, the extension member can beconstructed as movable armrests 540 assembled with the seat shell 506.When the seat shell 506 is installed facing rearward on a vehicle seat,the armrests 540 can slide forward beyond the front end 506A of the seatshell 506 to increase a leg room at the front of the seat shell 506.

Advantages of the structures described herein include the ability toadjust the front leg room when the child safety seat is installed in arear facing configuration, so that the child safety seat can accommodatechildren of different ages.

Realizations of the child safety seats have been described in thecontext of particular embodiments. These embodiments are meant to beillustrative and not limiting. Many variations, modifications,additions, and improvements are possible. These and other variations,modifications, additions, and improvements may fall within the scope ofthe inventions as defined in the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A child safety seat comprising: a seat shellhaving a seat portion and a backrest, the seat portion having a frontend opposite to the backrest; and an extension member connected with theseat shell and having a forward end, the extension member beingconfigurable between a first position where the forward end deploysforward away from the front end of the seat shell, and a second positionin which the extension member is retracted toward or removed from theseat shell; wherein the child safety seat has a rear facingconfiguration of installation, and the forward end of the extensionmember when in the first position is configured to provide abuttalcontact against a seatback of the vehicle seat in the rear facingconfiguration.
 2. The child safety seat according to claim 1, whereinwhen the child safety seat is in the rear facing configuration, the seatshell is adjustable to at least a first angular position, and a secondangular position reclined rearward relative to the first angularposition.
 3. The child safety seat according to claim 2, wherein theextension member is in the first position while the seat shell is in thefirst angular position, and the extension member is in the secondposition while the seat shell is in the second angular position.
 4. Thechild safety seat according to claim 1, wherein the extension member hasa transversal portion extending across a width of the seat portion, andtwo bent portions respectively connected with a left and a right side ofthe transversal portion.
 5. The child safety seat according to claim 4,wherein the two bent portions are arranged respectively at an undersideof a left and a right armrest of the seat shell.
 6. The child safetyseat according to claim 4, wherein the extension member, including thetransversal portion and the two bent portions, is formed as an integralbody.
 7. The child safety seat according to claim 4, wherein the seatportion has an upper surface for seating a child, and the two bentportions rise higher than the upper surface.
 8. The child safety seataccording to claim 4, wherein the extension member is further connectedwith a shield that is deployable above the transversal portion.
 9. Thechild safety seat according to claim 1, further including a latchoperable to lock the extension member in the first position.
 10. Thechild safety seat according to claim 9, wherein the latch is connectedwith the extension member and is movable to engage with a sidewall ofthe seat shell for locking the extension member in the first position,and the extension member is further assembled with a release part thatis movable between a locking position and an unlocking position, therelease part when in the locking position blocking disengagement of thelatch from the sidewall of the seat shell.
 11. The child safety seataccording to claim 9, wherein the extension member is further assembledwith a release part operable to drive unlocking of the latch, therelease part is assembled with the extension member for slidingdisplacement along a lengthwise axis extending from a front to a rear ofthe seat shell, and is arranged at a central location of the extensionmember.
 12. The child safety seat according to claim 1, furtherincluding a base connected with a bottom of the seat shell, the seatshell while in the rear facing configuration being movable relative tothe base for adjustment to any of a plurality of angular positions. 13.The child safety seat according to claim 12, wherein the base includes:a shell body having a first and a second end opposite to each other; alocking part movable relative to the shell body to engage the seat shellfor locking the seat shell in any of the angular positions; and twoactuating interfaces respectively arranged adjacent to the first andsecond end of the shell body, the two actuating interfaces being movableto cause latching and unlatching displacements of the locking part. 14.The child safety seat according to claim 13, wherein the locking part isguided for transversal sliding displacement along a channel of the baseand is connected with one of the two actuating interfaces via anelastically deformable arm.
 15. The child safety seat according to claim13, wherein the two actuating interfaces include a first and a secondactuating interface, the first and second actuating interfaces areconnected with each other via a linkage arrangement, and the secondactuating interface is movable to push the first actuating interface inmovement for driving the unlatching displacement of the locking part.16. The child safety seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat shellhas a bottom surface capable of resting stably on a vehicle seat, andthe seat shell is assembled with a front foot arranged adjacent to thebottom surface, the front foot moving relative to the seat shell so asto convert the seat shell between at least a first and a second angularposition, the second angular position being reclined rearward relativeto the first angular position.
 17. The child safety seat according toclaim 16, wherein the front foot is in sliding contact with a rampsurface of the extension member.
 18. The child safety seat according toclaim 17, wherein the front foot is spring biased to be in slidingcontact with the ramp surface of the extension member.
 19. The childsafety seat according to claim 16, wherein the extension member when inthe second position is retracted toward the seat shell, and adisplacement of the extension member from the first position to thesecond position causes the seat shell to move from the first angularposition to the second angular position.
 20. The child safety seataccording to claim 16, wherein the front foot is pivotally connectedwith the seat shell.
 21. The child safety seat according to claim 1,wherein the extension member is assembled with the seat shell forsliding displacement along a lengthwise axis extending from a rear to afront of the seat shell.
 22. The child safety seat according to claim 1,wherein the extension member is pivotally or slidably connected with theseat shell.
 23. A child safety seat comprising: a seat shell having aseat portion and a backrest, the seat portion having a front endopposite to the backrest; and an extension member connected with theseat shell and having a forward end, the extension member having atransversal portion extending across a width of the seat portion,wherein the extension member is adjustable relative to the seat shellbetween a first position where the forward end deploys forward away fromthe front end of the seat shell, and a second position in which theextension member is retracted toward or removed from the seat shell. 24.The child safety seat according to claim 23, wherein the extensionmember further has two bent portions respectively connected with a leftand a right side of the transversal portion.
 25. The child safety seataccording to claim 24, wherein the seat portion has an upper surface forseating a child, and the two bent portions rise higher than the uppersurface.
 26. A child safety seat comprising: a seat shell having a seatportion and a backrest; and a base connected with a bottom of the seatshell, the seat shell being adjustable relative to the base between aplurality of angular positions, wherein the base include a locking partoperable to engage the seat shell for locking the seat shell in any oneof the angular positions, and two actuating interfaces respectivelyarranged adjacent to two opposite ends of the shell body, the twoactuating interfaces being movable to drive latching and unlatchingdisplacements of the locking part.
 27. The child safety seat accordingto claim 26, wherein the locking part is guided for transversal slidingdisplacement through a channel of the base and is connected with one ofthe two actuating interfaces via an elastically deformable arm.
 28. Thechild safety seat according to claim 26, wherein the two actuatinginterfaces include a first and a second actuating interface, the secondactuating interface is movable to push the first actuating interface inmovement for driving the unlatching displacement of the locking part.29. The child safety seat according to claim 26, wherein the seat shellis assembled with an extension member having a forward end, theextension member being configurable between at least a first positionwhere the forward end deploys forward beyond a front end of the seatshell to define an extended foremost end of the child safety seat, and asecond position in which the extension member is retracted toward orremoved from the seat shell.